News & Press

A.B.C. Beverage Tastings January – June 2019

Atlas Oyster House is proud to present the next installment of Atlas Beverage Classes (A.B.C.). This semester we will be focusing on local breweries and distilleries, discovering what is going on in the beverage world right here in our backyard. In addition to the beverage tastings, we will feature small plates paired with each beverage, as prepared by Sous Chef Chad Gorey and Pastry Chef David Williams.

A.B.C. will be held outside, on the Deck Bar, the first Thursday of the month (January through June) and will feature a presenter discussing the highlighted beverages. Classes will consist of four tastings of beverages with four mini appetizers to complement each tasting. Classes will cover the basics as well as specific information regarding the history of the brewery/distillery and their beers or spirits.

There are two classes every month, each an hour and a half long. The first class begins promptly at 5:00 p.m. with the second class beginning at 7:00 p.m. Class cost is $20 per person (plus tax and gratuity), per class, which gets each participant one tasting of each of the featured beverages. In addition, throughout the class, participants should be prepared for “pop quizzes,” when we will be giving away T-shirts, beer glassware, gift certificates and more. Seating is limited so reservations are required, so be sure to make yours by emailing maria@goodgrits.com or calling 850-217-2347. The featured themes for each class are as follows:

January 3: Proof Brewing Company (Tallahassee, FL)

Allen Truesdell: Brewery Representative

Owners Byron and Angela Burroughs began with Proof’s early roots in 2007 in a small boutique liquor store on Tennessee Street. They then moved onto open Tallahassee’s first brewery in 2012 in the Railroad Square and now, they are moving to an old Coca-Cola plant which will up their production from 6,000 to 30,000 barrels a year. Proof Brewing Company is reinventing the craft beer industry — producing big, bold, flavorful beers while remaining committed to true artisanal brewing methods in an evolving industry. They have created dozens of unique, award-winning beer styles offering a wide range of pale ales, IPAs, lagers, stouts, sour ales, barrel-aged beers, and more.

In the late 1800s, German and Italian immigrants established vineyards and wineries in Alabama and world-class wines were produced up until Prohibition, when they were wiped out. Perdido Vineyards, 50 acres of muscadine grapes, was established in 1972 by Jim and his wife, Marianne Eddins. Eddins is president of Perdido Vineyards, a place that claims the title of “Alabama’s first farm winery since Prohibition.” He grows scuppernongs and muscadines on land he has farmed since the early 1970s, turning fruit into table wines and port and brandy, into award-winning gourmet wine vinegars, and assorted other products. Before Alabama licensed its first winery, Eddins and his wife, Marianne, sold their muscadines to a man in Pensacola, Florida, who turned them into wine. When that Pensacola man died, Eddins had to take matters into his own hands. He marched into the ABC offices in Alabama and fought to turn his own crop into wine, and was licensed Nov. 1, 1979. Later, he was fought by Baptists on religious grounds, bad weather, and lawsuits by big distributors, who pushed him into financial ruin by wiping out his crop. Eddins then turned to making award-winning vinegars. Shortly after, a county health department official tried to shut him down because vinegar started out as alcohol. But Eddins kept the faith and stated, “They need to stop preaching and help Alabama succeed,” he said. “People who object for religious reasons need to get over it,” Eddins said. “Alabama imports seven million gallons of wine, 100 million gallons of beer, $40 million worth of spirits a year. Jesus turned water into wine, after all. I just want to see if we’re going to get struck by lightning,” he said. Today, they have a 90,000-gallon winery with cold fermentation and temperature-controlled storage. Sweet Muscadine was the founder’s first vintage of 1979. Sweet Muscadine is also on exhibit at the California Wine Museum representing Alabama.

Nestled along the banks of Escambia Creek in Atmore, Alabama stand two non-descript buildings. No signage provides any clue as to what may churn inside, but inside is the new age of distilling in Alabama. This is where Seth Dettling, CEO and Head Distiller of Big Escambia Spirits, practices his craft. On June 6, 2014, Big Escambia Spirits LLC was awarded the fourth Distilled Spirits Plant permit issued within the State of Alabama in over 100 years. On June 6, 2015, Big Escambia Spirits placed the first-ever barrel of bourbon in the State of Alabama into cooperage. Big Escambia Spirits currently has over 14,000 proof gallons of spirits in our aging inventory making it Alabama’s largest distilled spirits plant. Big Escambia’s Dettling Bourbon was the first bourbon whiskey made in Alabama — grown in Alabama, aged in Alabama.

3rd Planet is a small but rapidly growing brewery owned by two military veterans with a passion for craft beer. Located in the heart of Niceville, Florida, the fourteen tap handles pour our signature beers as well as brews from other local breweries. This past summer 3rd Planet Brewing opened its second and largest brewery. Tim McCool, co-owner of 3rd Planet, said his brewery has a family-friendly atmosphere where people come to talk, play trivia and enjoy the outdoor food truck.

Clyde May defines “True Grit.” Born to a single mother shortly before the Great Depression, Clyde was raised in a time and place that required a dose of resilience and character — traits that would become a hallmark of the man and his whiskey. Clyde May proudly served in the Army’s 77th Infantry Division during World War II. He earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart while commanding a 12-man rifle squad. Clyde’s misfortune of being wounded in battle turned into a pretty good thing for whiskey-loving Conecuh Ridge locals. Clyde knew a thing or two about crafting the finest spirits around, even if his methods were slightly outside the laws of the land. His high standards and commitment to quality cemented his reputation as the “most-wanted” moonshiner in Alabama, if not the country. Clyde knew how to make great moonshine. And because of his handiwork, he spent eight months in the federal penitentiary at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, before he was paroled. Soon after his release — in true Clyde May form — he started setting up his next still. Distilled since 1946. Legal since 2001. Over 70 years of authenticity, dedication, integrity and perseverance — that’s what it takes to become the first official state spirit in the country, the Official State Spirit of Alabama™.

Gulf Coast Brewery is a micro brewery located in Pensacola FL. We have a tap room, wine lounge, and large brewhouse with ping pong, corn hole and TV to enjoy with friends. We are family and dog friendly. Their are 23 taps so you can find something to enjoy and we hope you like it.